A hot air balloon is an aircraft with no engine and no wings: a large fabric envelope full of air that a propane burner heats until it is lighter than the cooler air around it, so the balloon rises and carries a basket with the pilot and passengers. It has three main parts, the envelope, the burner and the basket. It travels with the wind, and the pilot controls only its height.

What gas or fuel does a hot air balloon use? The burner runs on liquid propane, carried in cylinders inside the basket. The envelope itself is filled with ordinary air heated by the flame, not with helium or hydrogen, which are used in gas balloons. The envelope is sewn from light ripstop nylon or polyester, and the basket is traditionally woven wicker.

See every part on our labelled diagram of the parts of a hot air balloon · Why a hot air balloon flies · How a flight works, step by step · Who invented the hot air balloon · Book a balloon flight in Catalonia